Dear Sushi

Didn’t expect much walking into Dear Sushi, but this spot turned out to be a solid find. The place is clean and well-kept, though the walk-up counter setup threw me off at first—doesn't scream “sushi joint,” but don’t let that fool you. We ordered the Firecracker Roll, the Wrap & Roll, and a fried rice with teriyaki chicken for the kids. The sushi was fresh, flavorful, and surprisingly filling. You could tell the ingredients were clean and handled right. That fried rice? Spot on—good sear, seasoned well, and the chicken was tender, not dry or rubbery. Sure, the location feels a little tucked away and rough around the edges, but let’s be honest—some of the best eats aren’t on main street. With rent prices being what they are, hidden gems like this make the most of it. Bottom line: great food, fair prices, and a low-key spot worth checking out. I’d absolutely recommend giving it a shot.

The lady who works there is amazing . Always smiles and makes you feel welcome in her store . Wanted to get crunchy crab roll to support her business and it did not disappoint. Tasted great and fresh. Will definitely buy again .

Finally gave them a try. We ordered 7 rolls and certainly not disappointed!!! Nestled in the Stewart’s Ferry Plaza. Rolls are large, great prices as well. Certainly a place to revisit.

This nondescript sushi place is my sister's current favourite and offers limited choices, but it's fresh, hygienic and well made. She's a seasoned sushi goer and eats everything, but I am vegan. This was an unlikely place to have such nice sushi for us both. Friendly staff. They had only 2-3 vegan choices, but the avocado fresh spring roll and the vegetable (AACC) roll were excellent. Filling and tasty. The rice paper is thin and just enough to hold everything together. The toasted sesame seeds added a nice crunch and the rice is good consistency. They give low sodium soy on request. Each table as its own tray of dining essentials. Food is plated tastefully. Would definitely order again. I hope they expand their veggie/vegan options.

Came here to meet a family member because of great reviews and mutual love of good sushi. You will not be disappointed. Best sushi I've had in a long time, we tried a few new things for us as well as a couple of favorites. No rushing us to order but one we decided what we want, they prepared and serced it quickly. If, and the very best soy sauce I've ever had. If you love bold flavor and not too sweet like some are, it's the best I've had. It's authentic Japanese soy sauce that's been being made since 1688. We came from madison, tn to try, and will definitely be making the trip back. With a few extra minutes if drive to gave such a wonderful experience.

Very Good sushi. Fresh. We started with edamame and vegetable spring rolls that were both good. I had the crab roll and 4 pieces of nigiri with an add on of eel. My wife had the vegetable roll and the shrimp tempura roll. The sushi was very good. They finish the rolls we had with crunchy fried onions. It was a nice add.

The sushi is always delicious and the woman at the front always has such great energy. I love the variety of spring rolls.

Best sushi in the area. Very friendly owners. Good prices. Fast service. Nothing really else to say, if you're in the hermitage donelson area this is it.

I'm in the area with some friends and we decided on sushi for dinner. We ordered fried rice, rainbow special roll, firecracker roll and shrimp tempura roll. Everything was very good! Sushi was fresh. We agreed that the shrimp tempura roll was not our favorite, but it was good. It had a lot of crunchies on top which we didn't feel was necessary. Firecracker roll and rainbow special roll were tasty and fried rice had nice flavor.

Went for dinner. I guess it's mostly a take out place 4 or 5 tables inside. It is very clean, no frills, no alcohol but if you're looking for some very fresh, very good sushi, give it a try. You order at the counter & they bring the food out. Service was very friendly & personable. We had seaweed salad, this was freshest I have had. Also had crunchy shrimp roll & avocado & more avocado with imitation crab. Ordered tuna sashimi it was very fresh. They have sodas & water for drinks. If I'm back in Nashville will go back

This is the best sushi I have had in nashville. Their vegetarian options are top notch and have so much flavor it's insane. It's a quiet spot and my husband and I are often the only people in the restaurant but the lady behind the counter is the most upbeat, sweetest person. I've never seen her with a frown. Seriously, please eat here. Don't let this be another local place and falls through the cracks of gentrification

I noticed it's been 5 years since I reviewed this place!This restaurant has always been my favorite sushi place since I discovered it. It has gone through a few updates since it first opened but sushi still amazing and #1 in my book. Always fresh and big portions. The decor has definitely gone through some upgrades as my pictures show. The tables now have this cute little pockets for the forks, chopsticks, soy sauce and napkins. They switched from reusable silverware to plastic disposable utensils. They also serve their soup on the to-go containers. I kind of not like it because it take the feelings of seating down and eat at the restaurant. They do put the sushi on a tray. They added a few extra items to their menu as well and the miso soup still boiling hot when serve. Watch out.

This sushi spot is a 10/10! Super clean space, incredibly friendly and pleasant staff, reasonably priced sushi, beautiful presentation, and delicious! We got the veggie rolls, veggie spring roll, and California roll! Would absolutely come back next time in town!

Sooo good! It was our first time here and we were on the hunt for good, fresh sushi. Dear sushi did not disappoint! We had a California roll and spicy shrimp which were both so good. Even the wasabi was better then normal and super fluffy! We ate in and it's not a standard sit down restaurant, you order at the counter and sit at one of the tables. It was quick too! Seemed very clean. The menu had everything we wanted but not as much variety as if you were to go to another restaurant with a full kitchen. Staff was so nice.

We had checked-in at a hotel not quite a mile away for our first visit through Nashville. At first the spouse was thinking of having dim sum except the restaurants we found online showed most dishes had gluten which is a No for us due to his allergies. Knowing he really likes sushi, we surprisingly found one and that it was real close by so we decided to walk there (lack of sidewalks but definitely doable). The entire place looks new. In fact, the counters, tables, and chairs seemed brand new. The woman greeted us and handed us two menus. She was really good and honest in her responses regarding the ingredients in their sushi sauce and others as some had soy sauce that contains gluten. It was because of that, we chose these two sushi rolls. They even provided gluten free tamari sauce and delivered the two rolls to our table. Fish was fresh, the wasabi and ginger were fresh too. It was a Thursday evening and there were no one else eating there. Hopefully with the apartments or condos that are being built across the street will result with busier nights as they deserve it.

Very nice sushi spot! Great choice for combos on sushi and sashimi. The service is what stuck out at this place. The staff are very jolly and joyful. Made the experience better and the sushi tables are setup nice with sauce and everything you need already at the table.

Great sushi, and awesome service. The restaurant is always nice and clean. They always have a smile on their face ready to serve you!

The food was so good and the service was fast. The place was clean. I eat a lot of sushi and this place had high quality, large portions for a great price!

Average sushi maybe I didn't order the right thing but nothing stood out to be amazing. Just okay ish. Friendly staff but more of a fast food feel not a sit down restaurant.

Great to-go sushi (I get it to-go, but they do have booths!). Not a huge menu, but what they have is great - they really know how to serve quality!

Bones in the rolls multiple times. When phoning in to tell them, was basically told to F off.

My friend and I came here because Sushi Thai was closed and we were not disappointed! My favorite was the shrimp dumplings!! They're amazing! I also tried the rainbow roll raw and the chef special raw which comes with the dynamite roll and 4 pieces of Nigiri. The sushi was good, but it wasn't great. It seemed a little bland to us and we were still hungry after which was a bit of a bummer. Overall though, we received great service and the prices can't be beat so even if only for the shrimp dumplings I would likely return.

I wanted to eat here. Unfortunately, I walked in sat down, nothing happened. I waited about 5 minutes and even though they were right in front of me, no one said a word. Just to make sure I hadn't died, I spoke to the woman on the way out. I asked her why no one came to wait on me, she said I had to order at the counter. I said why didn't you tell me that, they have tables! She said sorry but I have had my quota of dumb people today so I left.

NICE. I figured I'd give this place a try given the high reviews -- and I'm glad I did! I got the chef sushi special and edamame. Both were great! This might be my goto every time I visit Nashville now.

One of my favorite sushi spots! If you're looking for a full sit down meal, this isn't the place, but it's perfect for takeout. The sushi is consistently great, and the employees are the happiest, friendliest people! Dear sushi, I love you!

Very clean very fresh happy owners.. Food is excellent almost melts in your mouth the sushi is so fresh.

I've eaten sushi in LA, San Fran, NYC, Chicago, Miami, Bangkok, & many other places, and I'm a self-admitted sushi snob. Life is just too short for bad sushi. Here on a biz trip in Nashville & checked DoorDash for sushi and Dear Sushi came up there with a very nice, and rare for sushi, 4.8 rating so I also checked Yelp and the reviews we very nice overall so I gave it a try. Got, Maguro, Hamachi, and Unagi nigiri. All three were outstanding. I generally don't like when the fish is sliced too thin, and the Maguro and Hamachi were not as thick as I prefer, but the chef cuts the slices very wide compared to most I have had before so that the fish wraps almost completely around the rice ball rather than just laying on top. So even though it's fairly thin, its still a nice cut of fish and very enjoyable. The tuna was ruby red, and not a hint of any stringy muscle fibers- just the way it should be. Hamachi was very fresh and nice nutty flavor and overall very very good also. No muscle there also- just soft and tender and tasty. I'm always super critical of Hamachi and too often it fails but this was excellent. The Unagi was super tasty, very tender - fall apart- and just the right amount of tender fat/skin. I read another review about small portions on rolls but my Eel/Avocado roll was packed with eel and served in 8 very good sized pieces. As big as any I've had elsewhere and the avocado was crazy-perfect in ripeness; so soft it was almost like an avocado mousse. Really enjoyed that as well. Last item as the Shrimp Dumplings. Fairly standard shrimp gyoza, steamed, not fried, but topped with a 'yum' sauce- kind of a creamy white sauce you often find at hibachi restaurants. While not anything earth shattering in originality, it was SUPER tasty and would get everything I ordered again any time I'm back in the area. Summary - I generally don't like sushi unless I'm sitting at a sushi bar and it's in my mouth within seconds of being served. Delivery just usually isn't as satisfying. But this meal seriously holds up well to sushi restaurants where I would have paid $60-75 for the same items. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Don't be fooled by the unassuming dining room or the out-of-the-way location! Excellent sushi and sides, plus above-average friendly service. A hidden jewel, and a regular go-to for me. 10/10!

This spot is excellent for take out. They prepare the sushi within a maximum of 30 minutes in our experience. The workers are very nice and whoever makes the sushi knows what they are doing. A huge pet peeve of mine is sushi restaurants in Nashville roll extra rice into the roll itself. This place never has had that issue. They offer some fully raw rolls but not enough in my opinion. It can be a little costly but it's worth the money. If you call and order you can avoid whatever process fee is on their website. I recommend this place for anyone who plans to take out. The inside isn't pretty

If you want great sushi, it doesn't get any better than this! My very very favorite local sushi hang out. Intimate and clean. The sushi chef is so nice and presents a beautiful plate. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who is looking for a great sushi! Their other dishes are just as excellent too!

This place is a hidden gem! We dropped off a friend at the airport and wanted to try something new and decided on this place. At first glance it's pretty underwhelming, but man is the food good. The service was super nice and understanding of our questions and the food tasted fresh! Made right in front of our eyes which was very entertaining. Highly recommend this place! Good food for a fair price!

Ambiance is lacking. Now that being said the place was super clean and the food was fantastic. It isn't a sit down your being dined on kind of restaurant. It's a you order at the counter and pick up at the counter and find a place to sit and eat. Service was alright. Nice cashier and the sushi chefs definitely were working at creating yummy rolls however when you pay they ask for the tip prior to receiving food etc. Drinks are pick a bottle in the fridge with small selection. Hard to give five stars when if they treat it as fast food ambiance and made some small tweaks like serving water and drinks with refills it could feel even deferent. Just a different business model.

Wish I had taken a pic! The service was great! The place was very clean! The folks were super nice! Did I mention the sushi? Great place for sushi! Great presentation, fresh, more than I can eat, price was reasonable for the amount too! My daughter and I loved it and we would stop there again. We came into town for a mini-vacation. Perfect dinner for us!

This place is precious and the people there are very kind, however I am a sushi snob and I will say it was some of the worst sushi I've ever had :/ Ingredients don't feel fresh and overall was pretty inedible to me. I tried 3 different kinds and all were 0/10.

Eh. Quality isn't what I was expecting based on the reviews. Sure it's extremely affordable, but something is off. Just okay sushi.

The sushi is great!! It tastes very fresh and flavorful. I had the cream cheese crab roll and the spicy tuna roll, and loved them both! They aren't huge pieces, which I'm okay with because you can easily eat a whole one at once! It's a small family run business. The owner's are very friendly! And it's a very clean and casual restaurant space! I've definitely found my new go-to sushi spot!

Absolutely 10/10 those chicken dumplings are the best I've ever had. Wasn't sure about the yum yum sauce on them beforehand but after tasting holy!!! I also got the white dragon roll. That was really good too. The cream cheese and the avocado make it a little creamy when chewing but overall 10/10. Definitely coming back.

100% hidden gem in Nashville. Super simple concept and exceptional sushi. Highly recommend! The shrimp dumplings are also terrific.

So i was looking for good sushi and this place came up, i read the reviews and figured I'd give it a shot and I'm so glad tht i did. Now is a no frills, very simple, yet delicious place! This seems to be a husband a wife duo and just them from when i went, so yay them! I honestly enjoyed this sushi so much and they are very reasonably priced. Im not a big dumpling fan in general but I will always get their shrimp dumplings now they were just that good. The sushi is just the way sushi is supposed to be it honestly melted in my mouth and after I thought, " I could have this tomorrow." , which I will. So if you're in the area definitely give them a shot because they deserve it!

This place is a hidden gem!! Best sushi I've had in Nashville and so affordable. It's a must visit if you're looking for good sushi!

So so good! It's a little sushi place attached to a gas station that I definitely wouldn't have gone to without reading the reviews but I'm so glad I did!! We got two rolls that were very fresh and so good. They have a great variety and quick friendly service. Also AMAZING prices!! I will definitely come here when in Nashville.

We've been getting sushi here for the last few months and it's great. However, I had been hesitant on the chicken dumplings as they had yum yum sauce instead of gyoza. Today I decided to just try them. OMG, they were delightful. Try the chicken dumplings. I can't believe I have missed out on these for months now.

This is the Best sushi place in town, great service and attended by the owners

Amazingly fresh and delicious sushi! I found this on yelp and decided to try it for lunch on a Saturday. We were not disappointed!

We love this little unassuming hidden gem in Donelson! No frills just sushi and the best dumplings you will ever eat! Don't even bother to order just 1 order of dumplings (4 pieces) go ahead & order one of each kind! They are just that good! The sushi is great too! My husband isn't even a sushi person & he really liked the California roll! My favorites are the crunchy shrimp & the crunchy crab rolls! The rolls are quality & taste great! Prices reflect the quality as well! Staff is always friendly & the sushi is made to order without a long wait! Takeout from here is so easy! Have never eaten inside but it's always spotlessly clean!

Came back to this spot after COVID and this spot was even better than I remembered! The sushi was fresh and delicious! This is definitely a hidden gem!

Great service hidden away off Stewart's Ferry but enjoyed my California roll with sauce

One of the best sushi place that you MUST to try. We found this little gem thanks to yelp, food is so fresh, tasteful. The service was excellent and I was impressed how clean this place was, even the restroom was impecable. Thank you so much!

Some of the best sushi I've had in Nashville! The wasabi was so fresh and with a serious kick and the presentation of the sushi and the spicy mayo was outstanding. You can't beat the prices here either. I can't wait to come back as this will be my new sushi place! The only reasons why I'm giving this place 4 instead of 5 stars are such: the ambiance is non existent. It's like a little hole in the wall place with only 4 tables total. Second, I wasn't impressed with their miso soup. They don't add tofu which to me has always been the primary ingredient and it's a little on the garlic heavy side. Finally, although their chicken dumplings are good, they mix it with their spicy mayo sauce rather than like a sweet and sour of some sort. The sushi and the calamari salad though were dynamite. The young girl was also extremely friendly. Over all, it's an awesome hidden gem for sushi!

Echoing many reviews, we agree that the location is not high-end, however, they have high marks for cleanliness from the health department, and they proudly display their "Safe Serve" certification. For this they earn 5 stars. Their selection of sushi is a bit limited, for example, no octopus and no roe cups, but they do have eel (for those who appreciate more exotic choices.) We suspect they are aiming to keep quality higher, and so do not offer Items that maybe less desired by the general population. We are deducting a star for this reason (of limited menu.) Also, many sushi restaurants offer a small cup of miso soup and side salad, after placing a sushi order. There is no such offer here. Instead, these items are on the menu, for a price. Everything we had was tasty, but a stand-out item was Their spicy tuna roll was the best we've had in the area, it was fresh and it was not ruined by chopping the tuna into an unpleasant chunky paste, as some others have done.

Great sushi!!!! Finally decided to give this place a try! Fresh sushi, very flavorful and reasonably priced. Will definitely make this a regular.

Such a gem in an unassuming location. Dear Sushi isn't a fancy sushi restaurant- so if that is what you are looking for, you won't find it. The menu is small but offers the best of basic sushi rolls and a few favorites like miso soup and dumplings. Prices range around $5-9 per roll. Each roll was 6-8 pieces. My favorite was the vegetable roll and my wife really loved her crunch shrimp. With the often limited choices for lunch working in Donelson, we are glad we found Dear Sushi.

Definitely a hole in the wall worth finding! The waitress was so very friendly and the place was overall very clean (looked freshly painted too!). As for the menu, unfortunately, unfortunately there isn't a great selection. I did order the shrimp tempura and cream cheese roll, both really good! The shrimp tempura was topped with crunchies I've never Had on sushi before. Usually the crunchies are tempura flakes but this was round and bigger bits of crunch; I liked it though! My only complaint was that the cream cheese roll had a little too much cream cheese in it for me. The presentation of the rolls was beautiful - even came with eel sauce and spicy mayo for dipping!

This place is basic, no decoration on the walls, Ariel font for their sign, and a very simple menu. The sushi is Americanized, a little pricey, but tasty. It's a family-owned establishment next to other restaurants. Check them out.

The sushi is the best I've found in the Nashville area. The ambiance here is somewhere between a hospital waiting room and some sort of sterile sushi testing facility. No music, no art, no external stimuli of any sort just great sushi with amazing presentation. The weirdest sushi experience I've ever had. 10 out of 10 would test sushi here again.

One word. AMAZING. I've had a few sushi places here in Nashville but this one was the best. Small, quaint, hidden gem. I trust you not- the best pricing for your buck. You walk in and it's very simple. This place is all sushi. Limited choices but that's how I like it. I just finished my meal and I wish I could eat another plate full. We got 4 sushi rolls. 2 miso soups. 1 hot green tea. 1 edamame and the total at the end was $38.16 I can't wait to come back. Officially making this a traditional spot. I will say this. She told us it was a 30 min sushi wait and we were like damn. They have so many take out orders but now we understand. 120 percent. Can't wait to come back.

Super fresh sushi! We were welcomed with a friendly greeting and smile. Sushi took about 10 minutes for them to prepare. Great portion sizes and quality for the price!

Good economical Sushi place off I-40 E / Percy Priest lake. They seem to have clean and open Sushi kitchen